Circular knitting machine for producing knitted articles of footwear



d. 4, 1955 A, P. sAUNm-:Rs ZWW CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTED ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR @Cb 47 1955 AA P. SAUNDERS 2,719,416

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTED ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25, 1952 Inventor d. 4, 1955 A, P. SAUNDERS 297199416 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCNG KNITTED ARTICLES OF' FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 23, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor 4 1955 A, P. SAUNDERS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTED ARTICLES 0F FooTwEAR Filed Aug. 23, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 @m 4f 1955 A. P. SAUNDERS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNTTED ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 23, 1952 U@ 4, 1955 A. P. SAUNDERS 2,719,416

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE ROR PRO ING KNITTED ARTICLES CF FOOTWEA Filed Aug. 23, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 United States Patent O CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUC- ING KNITTED ARTICLES F FOTWEAR Alfred Percy Saunders, Leicester, England, assignor t0 Wiidt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application August 23, 1952, Serial No. 305,978

Claims priority, application Great Britain July 24, 1952 9 Claims. (Cl. 66-14) This invention relates to circular knitting machines for producing knitted articles of footwear of the kind having terry loops in the feet, and in this regard has reference particularly to such machines adapted to produce articles of the character described and claimed in copending application Serial No. 305,977 filed August 23, 1952 and now abandoned.

As is well known to those acquainted with the art, terry loops are formed from a thread fed to knitting needles conjointly with a yarn, for example in plating relation, by drawing longer sinker loops of the thread so that such loops project from one surface of the fabric and provide a soft feel, or plush or pile effect, which may be enhanced by combing or brushing the loops.

For the purpose of conciseness and distinction in the following further description and in the appended claims the term thread will be used with reference to the terry loops, and the term yarn will be employed in respect of regularly knitted primary or ground stitches. In certain parts of an article of knitted footwear of the kind referred to, the yarn and the thread are, in fact, simply two yarns knitted together, e. g. in plating relation, and, strictly speaking, it is only in the actual areas incorporating terry loops that the relevant one of these two yarns can properly be termed a terry thread.

Accordingly, wherever in the description of the accompanying drawings, the expressions ground yarn and terry thread are used they are to be interpreted in this sense.

Thus, in the machine presently to be described, thread and yarn may be fed conjointly to a set of needles such wise that while the two are fabricated to produce plated knitted loops, sinker loops of the thread are drawn longer than the corresponding loops of the yarn to produce terry loops.

This invention, moreover, concerns certain improvements in, or modifications of, the machine described and claimed in the specification of United States Patent No. 2,450,376, and the object is to provide, in such a machine, a particularly simple, compact and eilicient form of terry mechanism designed automatically to produce the terry areas in articles of knitted footwear of the character described and claimed in the co-pending application aforesaid.

The circular knitting machine constituting this invention includes, in combination, at least one needle cylinder, a set of needles for operation in said cylinder, the said needles being divided into two groups, viz., a group of instep needles and a complementary group of heel and toe needles, means for feeding both a yarn and an associated thread to the needles, means for so operating the needles as to concatenate needle loops in one direction from the said yarn and thread, instruments for the production of terry (elongated sinker) loops of the said thread, and means for so operating the terry instruments in a desired sequence conjointly with the operation of the needles of at least the heel and toe group as to be adapted to produce, in the foot of an article, an area or ICS` areas (e. g. foot bottom Or/and heel or/and toe or/and high heel portion) in which normal sinker loops of the thread are interspersed with elongated sinker, i. e., terry, loops of the latter, both walewise and coursewise, within a structure of the aforesaid needle loops.

Terry instruments are also preferably provided for similar operation in conjunction with the instep group of needles suchwise as to permit of incorporation into the foot of an article of footwear an all-round terry area, e. g., a ring toe, comprising needle loops interspersed with terry loops as aforesaid.

So far as the improved terry mechanism is concerned this is principally intended for application to seamless hose or half hose machines with co-axial needle cylinders equipped with double-ended needles and Sliders. In this connection, the terry instruments may conveniently be provided with formations adapted to be presented to co-operating needles in one cylinder suchwise that the thread is drawn over the formations to produce the necessary long loops and also adapted to provide knockingover bits to assist in knocking-over loops drawn by needles in the other cylinder. The said formations therefore facilitate rib or purl stitch formation and are thereby adapted to serve a dual purpose all as described in the prior United States specification No. 2,450,376 aforesaid.

A particular illustrative example of the invention being in the form of a modified version of the seamless hose machine described in the specification of United States Patent No. 2,450,376 and examples of knitted ware produced on such modified machine will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 3 of so much of the head of the said machine as is necessary to illustrate the application thereto of the improved terry mechanism, p

Figure 2 is a detail side View, as seen in the direction of the arrow A in Figure l, of some of the operating connections,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the machine showing more particularly mechanism for controlling the operation of the terry instruments and also some of the connections operable from the control drum of the machine,

Figure 4 is a side View of the mechanism shown in Figure 3 and as seen in the direction of the arrow B there- 1n,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional plan view taken on the line V-V of Figure l illustrating cams used to control the positions of the terry instruments,

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional View taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a side view of one of the terry instruments per se,

Figure 8 is a diagram depicting a few of the terry instruments and the appropriate cams necessary to illustrate the operation of the said instruments when used as rib knocking-over bits,

Figure 9 is a further diagram somewhat similar to Figure 8 illustrating the manner of operation of the terry instruments during the interspersion of terry loops with plain knitted loops in accordance with this invention,

Figure l0 is a developed and diagrammatic set out of the butts on the terry instruments,

Figure l1 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of a few needles and terry instruments illustrating the formation of terry loops in alternate sinker wales,

Figure l2 is a view somewhat similar to Figure ll depicting operation of terry instruments as knocking-over bits, and showing a rib panel with a terry loop at one side,

Figure 13 is a half hose capable of being knitted on the machine of this invention,

Figure 14 is a face View, drawn to a greatly magnified scale, of la portion` of knitted fabric incorporating adjoining rib and plain areas and an area in which terry loops are interspersed with plain knitted loops as aforesaid.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the machine now to be described is in many respects similar to the machine fully described in the specification of the prior United States Patent aforesaid. Portions of lthe following description will accordingly be found to overlap that in the earlier specification. In this regard the same reference characters will, wherever possible, be used in the present, as in the prior, specification to designate identical parts, additional characters being used only when describing the modifications involved. The reader will, therefore, find it an advantage to consider the two complete specifications together, especially as parts appearing in the present drawings and not referred to will in most cases have been described in the earlier specification.

Referring to Figure l it will be ,seen that the machine comprises a bottom or plain needle cylinder 1, a superimposed top or rib needle cylinder 2, double-ended needles such as 3 for operation in the cylinders, and, bottom and top sliders 4 and 5 respectively for actuating the needles and for transferring the same from one cylinder to the other, according to requirements. The numeral 6 indicates the bottom cam box and 7 the top cam box of the machine.

In association with the top cylinder component, there is provided a circular series of elongated blade-like terry instruments 8 arranged vertically in a longitudinally tricked cylindrical carrier 9. As shown in Figure 1, this carrier is rigidly fixed within the top needle cylinder 2 by means of a locking ring 10, a locating ring 11 and a carrier plate 12, all of which parts are clamped together and also to the top cylinder driving gear 13 by means of screws 14. The carrier plate 12 bears and rotates upon a ball cage 1S, which carries the balls of a thrust race, and in turn rests on a thrust ring 16 located in a centrally recessed portion -of the top plate 17 of the machine and, by reason of the fact that the gear 13 is keyed to the top cylinder 2 as indicated at 18 in Figure 1, the said cylinder and the cylindrical carrier 9 for the terry instruments 8 together constitute a unitary assemblage and accordingly rotate in unison. The ring 11 tits into a circumferential groove 2a formed in the upper end of the top needle cylinder 2 (see the right-hand side of Figure l), and thereby serves to locate the driving gear 13 in relation to the said cylinder.

Each terry instrument is formed, about midway between its ends, with a fulcrum 8a, Figure 7, which contacts with the back of the corresponding longitudinal trick 9b in the carrier 9 and enables the instrument to pivot in the said trick. At the upper end each instrument is shaped as shown more clearly in Figure l1 to provide butts, viz. a vertical butt 8b and a lower horizontal butt 8c for use as hereinafter described. Below these butts are butts 8d and 8d1 or 8d2 and 8d3 spaced at different levels for use for alternate terrying, and also butts 8e or Sel at different levels for use for verging. Each of the instruments is, therefore, initially formed with four terrying butts and a lower pair of verging butts. Prior to insertion into the cylindrical carrier A9, however, certain of these butts are broken ot; thus, each of the instruments 8 has three of the terrying butts and one of the verging butts broken otf. In the complete assemblage there is a half round series of alternately disposed terrying butts 8d and 8dr1 associated with a corresponding half round series of rib knockingover butts 8e, and also a complementary half round series of alternately disposed terrying butts 8d2l and 8d3 associated with a corresponding half round series of rib knocking-over butts Sel (see Figure By rib-knockingover butts are, of course, meant those butts which are acted upon to effect the movements of the instruments 8 necessary to cause the knock-over of rib loops. At the lower end each terry instrument 8 is shaped to provide a foot-like portion 8g with a toe or tip for the purpose of holding a thread T in the formation of a terry loop. The toe or tip is hollowed on its upper edge to prevent premature release of a terry loop. The lower horizontal edge (sole) of the foot 8g provides a rib knocking-over edge.

Before proceeding with a description of the cams for operation upon the various butts and the associated mechanism for controlling the terry instruments a specific set out of butts will now be described with reference to Figure 10. In this figure the upper portions of a few of the instruments 8 corresponding to the instep group of needles are indicated at I, whilst similar portions of a few of the remaining instruments corresponding to the heel and toe needles are indicated at H. Bearing in mind the foregoing description, the general set out of the butts will be clear. Thus, alternate ones of the group I of instruments are provided with terrying butts 8d and the intervening ones with terrying butts 8d1 at a slightly lower level, whilst of the group H of terry instruments, alternate ones are provided with terrying butts 8d2 and the intervening ones with terrying butts 8d3 disposed in a lower plane. All of the terry instruments of the group I are provided with rib knocking-over butts 8e whilst all of the instruments of the group H have rib knocking-over butts 8e1 in a higher plane. As will be appreciated, there is a terry instrument 8 to every needle 3 of the machine, and the butt 8b on every such instrument is used for effecting retraction of the operative extremity 8g of the latter at appropriate times, whereas the butt 8c thereon is for controlling the elevation thereof. The butts 8d and 8:11 on the instruments in the instep group I as well as the butts 8d2 and 8d3 on the instruments in the group H are acted upon when producing terry loops in a ring toe. For producing, in the instep, rib panels such as rp (Figure 14), where the rib loops require to be removed from the needle hooks, rib knocking-over butts 8e are acted upon. When knitting a heel, a toe or a foot bottom on needles corresponding to terry instruments of the .group H, butts 8d2 and 8d3 are used for alternate terry work. Accordingly, whenever it is required to produce all round terry, both the butts 8d and 8d1 and also the butts 8d2 and 8d3 require to be operated upon. Butts 8e1 are required for rib knocking-over, and are at a. higher elevation than the butts 8e to permit of actuation of the latter when making a terry foot bottom. During the making of a leg where all rib panels (or rib and links-links panels) are required, the cams hereinafter to be described for operating upon the butts 8e and Sel are in operation together.

As shown in Figure 1, there is associated with the terry instruments a conventional tricked verge 20 attached by screws such as 21 to a carrier 22 which is keyed slidably at 23 within the lower end of the cylindrical carrier 9. The foot-like ends 8g of the terry instruments 8, which are disposed just above the customary inside sinkers or web holders 24 in the bottom cylinder component, are located in the tricks 20a of the verge 20 whereby the said ends are correctly aligned for projection between consecutive needles to function as required. In addition to constituting a guide for the terry instruments during projection and retraction thereof, the verge 2.0 is used in the conventional rnanner for clearing welts, and for rib work, by the fabric contacting the edge 20b, but to lenable it to function for these purposes the terry instruments must be withdrawn to the position indicated in Figure l so that their lower edges or soles, together with the adjoining lower edges of the walls of the tricks 20a ,provide behind the needles an unbroken surface for contact with the work and of an extent sufcient to enable the verge 20 to function as such. The said tricked verge is movable vertically at required times to and from `its operative position shown in Figure 1, by connections actuated from the control drum CD of the. machine. Thus, as will be seen, the carrier 22 of the verge is secured, to the lower end of an axially movable hollow shaft 26 which extends up through a bush 27a in a guide plate 27 tted within the upper end of the cylinder carrier 9 and is connected through the medium of a collar 28, with the forked end 29a of a pivoted lever 29 (Figure 3) adapted to be rocked from a lever on the control drum CD through a link 30. The collar 28 is free on the shaft 26 and is associated with a further collar 32 fixed to the said shaft. A compression spring 33 provided to control the connections just described surrounds the hollow shaft 26 `and is interposed between the bush 27a and the underside of the `bottom collar 32. A ball bearing 34 arranged as shown takes the thrust from the spring 33. The forked end 29a of the lever 29 is furnished with pins 35 whereby it is located on the central free collar 28. The said lever is fulcrumed on a pin 36 carried by a pillar 37.

For operating and controlling the terry instruments 8 there is provided a cam system comprising several cams, the construction and arrangement of which will now be described. First there is a cam race R provided between vertically spaced cams 117 and 118 arranged for engagement with the butts 8c for the purpose of supporting the terry instruments at a predetermined elevation. These cams 117 and 118 are carried by a cam ring 119 which is in turn supported beneath a bracket 120 mounted on three equally spaced columns 121 on the top plate 17. The inner cam surface 119a of the ring 119 is for contact with the outer edges of the vertical butts 8b for the purpose of accurately locating the terry instruments 8 with f their foot-like operative extremities 8g withdrawn within the needle circle. ln other words, the cam ring 119 functions as a guard to limit the outward rocking movement of the vertical butts 8b.

To the top of the bracket 126 are attached four cam carrier plates 47, 48, 49 and 50, each of which extends radially inwards over the tops of the vertical butts Sb and is formed with a downwardly projecting portion to which is secured a cam for action upon the backs of the said butts for elfecting retraction of the terry instruments 8 at their lower ends 8g to an inoperative position. Thus, the cam carrier plates 47 and 50 have securedthereto, by means of screws 122, `similarly outwardly shaped cams 47a and 59a for effecting complete retraction of the lower ends 8g of the instruments to return the latter to an appropriate position for reselection at required times.` During such return of the instruments any terry loops which may happen to be supported by the ends 8g will be cast off. The cam 47a is for use during reverse knitting, whilst the cam 58a performs the same purpose during forward knitting. By reverse knitting is meant knitting during the reverse movements of the needle cylinders during reciprocatory knitting. The cam carrier plates 48 and 49 are likewise secured, again by screws 122, with identical convex cams 48a and 49a for effecting partial retraction of the lower ends 8g to draw the terry loops inside the needle circle during knocking-over of knitted loops. Here again, the cams 48a and 49a are for use during reverse and forward knitting respectively. '111e cam carrier plates 47, 48, 49 and 5t) are attached to the top of the bracket 120 by means of screws 5l the said plates being accurately located radially by ribbed formations thereon which fit in an annular recess 123 formed in the bracket 120 (see Figures l and 3). p

For action upon the terrying butts 8d and 8d1 and 8d2 and 8d3 there are provided two presser levers 124 and 12S respectively arranged one immediately above the other. These levers, the operative portions of which are formed with cam-like noses 124a and 125:1, are secured, by means of screws such as 126, to pivoted blocks 127 and 1271 respectively. As will be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the blocks 127 and 1271 are mounted to turn independently about a vertical axle 128 fixed in the top plate 17. Arranged to surround the axle 128 is a cornpression spring 129 (Figure 4) which is interposed between the underside of the lower block 1271 and the up'- per side of the top plate 17. The axle 128, moreover, extends up above the block 127 and is engaged by the forked end 130e of a short lever 130 which is xed to one end of a shaft 131 mounted to turn in a bearing in a bracket 132. The said bracket is in turn fixed upon one of the vertical columns 121 by means of an associated cap 134 and screws 135. The opposite end of the shaft 131 has secured thereto a lever 136 furnished with a roller 137 which is arranged to bear upon the top of an appropriately profiled face cam 138. A screw 139 serves to secure the roller 137 upon the outer end of the lever 136 (see Figures 3 and 4). Integral with and beneath the cam 138 is a toothed rack wheel 140, these components being mounted to rotate together about a vertical stud 141. Also mounted to turn about the same stud 141 (Figure 3), beneath the rack wheel 148, is an oscillatable lever 142 upon one end of which is provided a pivoted and suitably spring-influenced pawl 143 for co-operation with the said rack wheel. Into the opposite end of the lever 142 is xed a shoulder screw 144 by which the said lever is articulated to a short link 145. This link is in turn pivotally connected, by means of a further shoulder screw 146, to a lever 147 fulcrumed at 148. Approximately midway between its ends, the lever 147 is fitted with a roller 149 arranged to be acted upon by a cam lobe 150 secured to the upper end of a vertical rotary shaft 151. This shaft is timed 1:1 to the knitting head, that is to say it is rotated at the same speed as the needle cylinders 1 and 2 and the cylindrical carrier 9 for the terry instruments 8. The construction and operation are, therefore, such that each time the knitting head revolves through a complete revolution, the lever 147 and hence also the lever 142 will be oscillated to rack round the cam 138 to the extent of one step. As knitting proceeds, the shaft 131 is accordingly turned back and forth with the result that the pivoted blocks 127 and 1271 are alternately both depressed by the forked lever 130 against the action of the compression spring 129 and permitted torise togetherl under the said action. The timing is, in fact, such that both of the noses 124a and `12551 of the superimposed presser levers 124 and 125 are simultaneously depressed preparatory to the commencement of each alternate course of knitting c and are permitted to rise again together preparatory to the commencement of each intervening course of knitting. This takes place continuously whenever the machine is running. The extent of the up and down movements of the pivoted blocks 127 and 12,71 is such that at each depression thereof the nose 124e of the upper presser lever 124 will move down out of the plane of the alternate terrying butts 8d into the plane of the intervening terrying butts 8d1, and the nose 125e of the lower presser lever 125 will move down out of the plane of the alternate terrying butts 8d2 into the plane of the intervening terrying butts 8d3; conversely, each time the two pivoted blocks 127 and 1271 are permitted to rise under the influence of the spring 129, the nose 124:1 will move up from the `plane of the butts 8d1 into the plane of the butts 8d and the nose 125a will similarly move up from the plane of the butts 8a'3 into the plane of the butts 8d2.

The independently turnable presser levers 124 and 125 are spring-influenced in such a way as to be normally held back away from and clear of the terrying butts. For moving the said levers into their operative positions, selectively, and permitting them to move back clear of the corresponding half round series of terrying butts in accordance with knitting requirements, however, there are provided two horizontally disposed slides 152 and 153 mounted one above the other for sliding movement radially in the upper portion of a block 154 secured, by means of screws 155, beneath an extension 120a of the bracket 120. Each of the slides 152 and 153 is formed with a rounded operative, i. e. inner, end for permanent contact with the back of the corresponding terrying butt presser lever. Each of these slides, moreover, is provided, as depicted in Figure 3, with laterally extending pins 156 to which are anchored the leading ends of a pair of tension springs 157 functioning to control the slide and normally hold it back away from the cylindrical carrier 9. By `making each of the slides 152 and 153 in two parts having obliquely extending opposed edges, such as 158, `Figure 3, and providing in the rear part of the slide an adjusting screw 1 59 disposed with its leading end in contact with the rear edge of the front part thereof, it is possible to vary the effective length of the slide by an appropriate adjustmentr of the said screw. In Figure 1, the upper slide 152 is shown pushed forwards, that is to say radially inwards against the action of its springs 157, so that the corresponding presser lever 124 is in its operative position for action on the terrying butts 8d and 8d1 in the group I (Figure l0). Whilst in this position, the nose 124-a of the said presser lever, by virtue of it being alternately lifted and lowered, course by cou-rse, as hereinbefore described, acts on the butts 8d and 8d1 during the production of alternate and intervening courses of knitting respectively. In Figure 1, on the other hand, the lower slide 153 is shown withdrawn in its inoperative position as a consequence of which the presser lever 125 is clear of the terrying butts 8d2 and 8d3 in the group H. At appropriate times this position is, of course, reversed; that is to say, the lower slide 153 and hence also the presser lever 125 .is pushed forwards whilst the upper slide 152 and the presser lever 124 are held withdrawn. Or, for all round terry work, both slides 152 and 153 may be pushed forward together so that both of the presser levers 124 and 125 are in operation together.

Now the selective operation of the slides 152 and 153, by which their positions are determined, is controlled by an intermittently rotatable drum 160. This drum is drilled with circular series of holes 161 disposed at different levels, and in predetermined ones of these holes there are secured pins, such as that indicated at 162 in each of Figures l and 4, for action on the slides. Thus, whenever a slide is acted upon by a pin 162 it is pushed forwards with the result already described, Whereas in the absence of pins at the relevant level the slide will be withdrawn. Integral with and located 'beneath the drum 160 there is a rack wheel 163 adapted for cooperation with a spring-inuenced pawl 164. This pawl is pivotally mounted on a slide 165 arranged for movement back and forth longitudinally within a slot cut in the top plate 17. As illustrated in Figure 2, one arm 166er of a bell crank lever 166, fulcrumed at 167 on a bracket 168, is engaged in a recess in the slide 165. The other arm 166d of the bell crank lever 166 is connected tothe upper end of a rod 169 the lower end of which is engaged in a hole 170a formed in a lever 170 adapted to be actuated at appropriate times by a cam or cams such as 171 on the control drum CD.

For action respectively upon the rib knocking-over butts 8e and 8e1 there are provided two further slides 172 and 173 arranged for sliding movement radially within the lower portion of the aforementioned block 154. As in the ease of the slides 152 and 153, each of the further slides 172 and 173 is made in two parts with which is associated an adjusting screw. The slides 172 and 173, which are influenced by tension springs 174 (see Figure 4) are also actuated and controlled from the pin drum 160.

When the slides 152 and 153 are pressed in against the action of the springs 157 by the means hereinbefore described, the noses 124a and 125a of the associated presser levers 124 and 125 press on the terrying butts 8d and 8dl and 8d2 and 8d3 to effect projection of the lower foot-like ends 8g of the instruments 8 for the formation of terry loops as, say, during production of a terry heel, sole, toe or ring toe. It is to be clearly Vunderstood that the said instrumentsare not raised by this action. When,

on the other hand, the slides 172 and 173 are moved in, their shaped operative ends 172a and 173a (see Figure 8) raise the rib knocking-over butts 8e and 8e1 to bring the vertical butts 8b into contact with a cam 63 whereby the foot-like ends 8g of the instruments are projected from the tricked verge 20. The cam 63 is let into the top of the cam ring 119. A plan of the cam 63 to show the shape thereof more clearly is depicted at the top of the Figure 8.

Referring now to FigureV 11, it will be seen that the shaped terry thread T and the unshaded ground yarn G are in the course of being taken and knitted by a suecession of plain needles 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d, the needle 3d being depicted as drawing new loops of the said thread and yarn throughthe loops knitted at the previous course. The alternate needles 3a and 3c are drawing the thread T over the operative extremities 8g of the corresponding terry instruments 81 and 83 to form elongated sinker, i. e. terry loops TL. The sinker loops of the ground yarn G are of normal llength so that the outer face of the nished fabric will have a normal appearance. It will be noted that'the intervening terry instruments 82 and 84 are withdrawn to their inoperative positions. During the next course of knitting the instruments 81 and 83 will be withdrawn, whereas the instruments 82 and 84 will be operative, and the needles 3b and 3d will draw the thread T over the extremities 8g thereof, and so on course after course during the production of terry fabric. In Figure 11 fragmentary portions of the holding down sinkers or web holders are indicated at 24, and 241 represents a portion of the sinker bed.

The thread T is fed through a hole 116a in the latch guard feeder 116, whilst the ground yarn G is fed through slot 116b (see Figures 8 and 9).

In Figure 12, the needles 3a are shown knitting rib. The foot-like extremity 8g of the terry instrument at the right-hand side of the figure is forming a terry loop TL in conjunction with descending needles 3b and 3c in the bottom needle cylinder whilst the extremities 8g of those terry Vinstruments operating with the rib needles 3e are functioning as rib knock-over bits-their lower edges or soles being in a position to contact the sinker loops sl for this purpose.

Figure 8 illustrates diagrammatically the action of the terry instruments 8 when used as rib knocking-over bits. The cam portion 173a of the slide 173 is shown raising the said instruments by action on the rib knocking-over butts Sel. As a result of this action the vertical butts 8b of these instruments are raised for contact with the cam 63 by means of which latter the vertical butts 8b are Vmoved partially inwards to effect outward movement of the foot-like extremities 8g of the instruments from the tricks 20a of the tricked verge ring 20. In this way the rib knocking-over instruments have the extremities 8g thereof passing over the feed hole 116a and each such extremity is therefore prevented from making contact with the terry thread T. To permit the appropriate terry instruments to lift under the action of the cam portion 173a the cam 118 is gapped at 118a and formed with an inclined face 118b serving to depress the butts 8c and return the instruments lto normal height coinciding with the rib knock-over position.

Figure 9 illustrates purely diagrammatically the sequenee of the movements of terry instruments 8 for the formation of terry loops. First, the foot-like extremities 8g of the appropriate instruments are projected radially outwards by contact of their terrying butts 8d or 8d1 or 8d2 or 8d3 with the presser lever 124 or 125, as the case may be, the tips of the said extremities as a result lightly contacting the latch guard 116 immediately beneath the hole 116a therein, viz, at the level x and taking the terry thread T in the manner shown in Figure 11. The instruments are at this time travelling in the direction of the arrow in Figure 9. Then, at approximately the loop forming point, the cam 49a effects partial withdrawal of the tips of the foot-like extremities 8g which tips serve to control the terry loops TL after they have been formed. Thereafter, the tips of the instruments are completely Withdrawn from contact with the terry loops by action of the cam 50a, shedding of these loops taking place within the needle circle ,where they are free from interference by the needles 3.

It will be observed from a comparison of Figures 8 and 9 that it is impossible for a terry instrument which is functioning as a rib knocking-over bit to take the thread T owing to the action of the slide cam portions 172a and 173:1.

Referring to Figure 7, it will probably facilitate the description to point out that 8h is where a terry loop is retained and 8i represents the rib knocking-over edge.

By means of the machine just described, and by appropriate operation of the terry instruments, it is, therefore possible to produce an article of knitted footwear having a plain foot bottom or sole wherein terry loops are incorporated in odd numbered sinker Wales in alternate courses and even numbered sinker wales in intervening courses of plain knitting. A specific example of a half hose embodying this feature is depicted in Figure 13. As will be seen, this article comprises a welt w followed by a l x l rib top rt, a broad ribbed, e. g. 6 x 3, leg l consisting of spaced rib panels rp and intervening plain panels p, comprising loops concatenated in respectively opposite directions, a high heel hh, of half round terry a terry heel h, reinforced or otherwise, and a foot comprising a broad ribbed instep z' of the same combination as the leg I, a terry foot bottom or sole fb, a terry ring toe t and a terry toe t1, reinforced or otherwise. The high heel hh, the heel h, the foot bottom or sole fb, the ring toe t and the toe t1 are all of the special terry construction hereinbefore described; that is to say, there are terry loops in odd numbered sinker wales in alternate courses and in even numbered sinker wales in the intervening courses. 1c represents the linking courses.

Figure 14 illustrates the inside of a piece of fabric incorporating the characteristic feature of this invention. The fabric is composed throughout of a yarn G and a thread T knitted in plating relation. The area M is intended to represent heel, toe, or foot bottom fabric of a knitted article of footwear, e. g. of the character depicted in Figure 13, the adjoining portion O representing instep fabric. This instep portion is divided into two adjoining panels, viz. a rib panel rp comprising three wales R1, R2 and R3 of needle loops and a plain panel p comprising six wales P1, Pz, P3, P4, P5, and Ps, of needle loops, the loops in the said two panels being, of course, concatenated in opposite directions. The entire area M is plain knitted, and in this area the reference letter N indicates needle loops and the letter S sinker loops of the yarn G, the terry loops TL interspersed throughout the area being constituted by elongated sinker loops of the thread T formed over the sinker loops S. As will be seen, there are terry loops TL in odd numbered sinker wales swl and sw3 in alternate courses C2, C4 and C6, and in even numbered sinker wales SW2 and sw4 in the intervening courses C1, C3, C5 and C". Expressed in other terms, in each of the sinker wales, as well as in each of the courses in the area M alternate ones only of the sinker loops of the yarn G are combined with elongated sinker loops of the thread T.

I claim:

l. A circular knitting machine of the superimposed cylinder type adapted to operate with rotary motion as well as with reciprocatory motion in the production of knitted articles of footwear, which machine includes, in combination, upper and lower cylinders, needles for operation in said cylinders, the needles in the lower cylinder being divided into two groups, viz. a group of instep needles and a complementary group of heel and toe needles, means for feeding both a yarn and an associated thread to the needles, means for so operating the needles that with needles in both cylinders needle loops are concatenated in respectively opposite directions from the yarn and the thread, instruments for the production of terry loops of the said thread, the said instruments being provided with formations adapted not only to be presented to needles in the lower cylinder suchwise that thread is drawn over the formations to produce long sinker loops but also to provide knocking over bits for needles in the upper cylinder, and means for so operating the terry instruments conjointly with needles in the lower cylinder as to be capable of producing, in the foot of an article, at least one area in which normal sinker loops of the thread are interspersed with terry loops of the latter, both walewise and coursewise within a structure of needle loops all drawn in the same direction, each of the group of terry instruments associated with the heel and toe needles being furnished with a terrying butt, and means provided for action upon these butts suchwise as to move predetermined spaced instruments of the said group into terrying position during the formation of alternate courses or partial courses of knitting, and for similarly moving the remaining instruments of the group into terrying position during the formation of the intervening courses or partial courses of knitting, those instruments which are not operative for terrying during the formation of any one course being maintained in their withdrawn positions.

2. A circular knitting machine according to claim l, wherein each of the group of terry instruments associated with the instep needles is also furnished with a terrying butt, and further means are provided for action upon the said butts in a manner similar to the means for action on the butts of the instruments associated with the heel and toe needles.

3. A circular knitting machine of the superposed cylinder type adapted to operate with rotary as well as with reciprocatory motion in the production of knitted articles of footwear, which machine includes, in combination, upper and lower cylinders, needles for operation in said cylinders, needles in the lower cylinder being divided into two groups, viz. a group of instep needles and a complementary group of heel and toe needles, means for feeding both a yarn and an associated thread to the needles, means for so operating the needles that with needles in both cylinders needle loops are concatenated in respectively opposite directions from the yarn and the thread, instruments for the production of terry loops of the said thread, the said instruments being provided with (a) formations adapted not only to be presented to needles in the lower cylinder suchwise that thread is drawn over the formations to produce long sinker loops but also to provide knocking-over bits for needles in the upper cylinder, (b) terrying butts and (c) additional butts, means for action upon the terrying butts on the group of terry instruments associated with the heel and toe needles suchwise as to move predetermined spaced instruments of the said group into terrying position during the formation of alternate courses of knitting and for similarly moving the remaining instruments of the group into terrying position during the formation of the intervening courses of knitting, further means for action upon the terrying butts on the complementary group of instruments associated with the instep needles in a similar manner to the means for action on the butts of the first mentioned group of terry instruments, means for maintaining in their withdrawn positions those terry instruments which are not operative for terrying during the formation of any one course, and cams for action upon the aforementioned additional butts, the said additional butt and cam system including butts and cams for effecting retraction of all the instruments to an inoperative position and butts and cams adapted for moving the instruments to knocking-over position.

4. A circular knitting machine according to claim 3,

wherein there are two half round series of terrying butts respectively on the terry instruments of the two groups, these two series of butts being at respectively different heights, and predetermined spaced terrying butts of each half round series being at a different height to the remaining terrying butts of the same series.

5. A circular knitting machine according to claim 4, wherein there are provided for action on the complementary half round series of terrying butts two selectively operable presser members which are continuously movable up and down together suchwise that whenever a presser member is rendered operative it will act on the predetermined spaced terrying butts of the relevant series during the production of alternate courses or partial courses of knitting and on the remaining terrying butts of the same series during production of the intervening courses or partial courses.

6. A circular knitting machine according to claim 5, wherein the presser membersl are provided on springinfluenced blocks arranged to turn independently about and to slide up and down upon an axle, and cam-operated means controlled from a shaft rotatable at the same speed as the rotary components of the knitting head of the machine are provided for moving the blocks up and down on the axle.

7, A circular knitting machine according to claim 6, wherein the presser members are selectively operated from a drum furnished with control projections, e. g. pins, pre-arranged according to knitting requirements, for instance, through the medium of spring-influenced slides, the saiddrum being adapted to be racked round from a main control unit of the machine through intermediate connections.

8. A circular knitting machine of the superposed cylinder type adapted to operate with rotary as well as with reciprocatory motion in the production of knitted articles of footwear, which machine includes, in combination, upper and lower cylinders, needles for operation in Said cylinders, needles in the lower cylinder being divided into two groups, viz. a group of instep needles and a complementary group of heel and toe needles, means for feeding both a yarn and an associated thread to the needles, means for so operating the needles that With needles in `ooth cylinders needle loops are concatenated in respectively opposite directions from the yarn and the thread, instruments for the production of terry loops of the said thread, the said instruments being provided with (a) formations adapted not only to be presented to needles in the lower cylinder suchwise that thread is drawn over the formations to produce long `sinker loops but also to provide knocking-over bits for needles in the upper cylinder (b) two half round series of terrying butts respectively on the terry instruments of the two groups associated with the heel and toe and the instep needles, these two series of butts being at respectively dierent heights, and predetermined spaced terrying butts of each half rround series being at a different height to theremaining terrying butts of the same series, and (c) two half round series of rib knocking-over butts at respectively different heights on the instruments of thetwo groups, means for action upon the terrying butts on the group of terry instruments associated with the heel and toe needles suchwise as to move predetermined spaced instruments of the said group into terrying position during the formation of alternate courses of knitting and for similarly moving the remaining instruments of the group into terrying position during the formation of the intervening courses of knitting, further means for action upon the terrying butts on the complementary group of instruments associated with the instep needles in a similar manner to the means for action on the butts of the rst mentioned group of terry instruments, means for maintaining in their withdrawn positions those terry instruments which are not operative for terrying during the formation of any one course, and cams for action on the` half round series of rib knocking-over butts for moving the instruments to knocking-over position at required times.

9.y A circular knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein (a) there are provided for action on the cornplementary half round series of terrying butts two selectively operable presser members which are continuously movable up and down together suchwise that whenever a presser member is rendered operative it will act on the predetermined spaced terrying butts of the relevant series during the production of alternate courses or partial courses of knitting and on the remaining terrying butts of the same series during production of the intervening courses or partial courses, (b) the presser members are selectively operated from a drum furnished with control projections pre-arranged according to knitting requirements, through the medium of spring-influenced slides, the said drum being adapted to be racked round from a main control unit of the machine through intermediate connections, (c) there are provided for action on the half round series of rib knocking-over butts, cams associated with slides which are selectively operable from the drum furnished with the pre-arranged control projections.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,430,792 Thurston et al. Nov. 1l, 1947 2,435,771 Clarke Feb. 10, 1948 2,450,376 Holmes Sept. 14, 1948 2,468,668 Holmes Apr. 26, 1949 

